Has the Dickinson Park pavilion reached the end of its practical life? That’s the question local officials bandied about, August 20, when they met onsite at the facility to hear about renovation plans.

Late that afternoon, the Board of Selectmen convened a special meeting and joined a number of Parks & Recreation staff members and commissioners to poke around under the pavilion hood, so to speak, that has hosted countless camps, weddings, birthday parties, and community events over the past half century-plus.

That gathering preceded a Parks & Rec Commission meeting during which the panel was scheduled to discuss possible capital renovations for the structure.

As First Selectman Dan Rosenthal was joined by Selectmen Jeff Capeci and Maureen Crick Owen, Parks Director Amy Mangold reviewed a set of sketches tied to a 2012 master plan for the park.

Ms Mangold explained that a brand new pavilion, along with an uncovered deck expansion, additional handicapped parking spots, and splash pad water feature were originally part of the plan and its morphing accompanying Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) earmark.

Carl Samuelson, assistant director of Parks, told selectmen that throughout his tenure and especially in recent years, plans have been in flux as far as whether his department would undertake a renovation or replacement project.

Ms Mangold said the pavilion is a revenue generator for the community, taking in nearly $10,000 last year from 46 separate bookings.

“It’s mostly weekends, but sometimes it’s more than one [rental] per day,” she said, with Mr Samuelson adding that three events per weekend was not unusual for the workhorse facility.

Ms Mangold said the pavilion acted as a hub, a place for kids to meet their rides after camp, and a refuge when visitors to the park want to seek some shade or cover from the rain.

She said an ideal renovation would include removing the camp storage shed at the south end of the structure, creating a more secure location for supplies elsewhere and opening the view from that end of the pavilion to a nearby meandering brook.

While Ms Mangold admitted an adjacent splash pad sprinkler feature was a “nice to have, not a need to have,” Parks Commission Chairman Ed Marks said any water feature development would require additional facilities, including showers.

On the other hand, Ms Mangold said she was confident that if a new splash pad was eventually installed, it would create another revenue stream due to increased summer camp participation at Dickinson.

“I believe our camp numbers would really soar,” she said. “A splash pad would really complete the [master] plan.”

Mr Samuelson said he understood a prior CIP request for $400,000 to complete the plan — not just the pavilion — produced some “sticker shock.”

“My primary concerns are dry rot,” he said, pointing to a deteriorating beam footing supporting part of the 1964 metal roof. He estimated re-decking and re-shingling the pavilion would run around $50,000 to $60,000, and it would cost about the same amount to convert the facility with 400 amp electrical capacity.

The parks assistant, who oversees all the department’s properties, said he would like to level the pavilion floor as well, as it currently has a slight pitch that creates some issues when the facility transitions to a covered ice rink in the winter.

All in all, the estimate to fully renovate as desired would top $200,000, while a complete and up-to-date replacement was pegged at $350,000 to $380,000.

Mr Marks and Mr Rosenthal agreed that the Parks Commission needed to parse needs from wants and make their best presentation to selectmen during CIP deliberations this winter. Mr Samuelson said ideally, he would like to see a “40-year solution” for the facility, since any replacement roof would have a 40-year anticipated life.

Mr Marks said the condition of the pavilion impacts the overall character of Dickinson Park, which he added was not so much a “sports park than a play park” for families and gatherings.

“This is a good first step,” Mr Rosenthal said, “figuring out what’s best.”